Some Thoughts on Prayer

Why do we pray?

This thought came to me as I reflected on some of the unusual outcomes I've had lately from my prayers, here are just one.

I was returning a bus to it's grassy parking spot in the evening, and I knew it was needed by another group the next morning. I had been warned not to go on the grass if it had been raining. Well, the sun had been shining most of the day, the only real rain had come just haft an hour before I returned the bus. Praying, I decided to risk the grass, it was a bad idea. Yes, I got a 5 ton 22 seat bus bogged!

As the man who own the field and I tried many different things to get the bus unstuck I prayed that they would work, I really prayed that the bus would be available for the group the next morning. nothing we tried worked. After some frantic phone calls, I was able to find that the bus has NRMA road side assistance cover. The NRMA was able to call a toe truck company who come out and try to move the bus, but it was going to cost a lot of money. I was willing to pay the money, my prayer was just that the bus would be ready for the next morning. The toe truck driver took one look, said it was to hard and left. At least it didn't cost me any money. By this time it was well into the evening and completely dark. I promised to come back first thing the next day to try and get the bus out. I want home praying that it would not rain over night, it did, but I slept well.

The next morning the ground was much worst than the night before and, despite bringing everything I could get my hands on to give the bus wheels a solid foundation to move on, nothing worked. We moved the bus about three feet. Then one of the men associated with the group who owned the bus showed up with a man in a four wheel drive. In fact, the man was a four wheel drive touring guide and he was fully set up to pull bogged stuff out of just about anything. Fifteen minutes later the bus was free, and well in time for the next user.

So, what was the point of praying through all this? There are a number of points here are just a few.
1. Prayer kept me at peace. I had a confidence that it would work out, I just didn't how.
2. Prayer kept the real goal in front of me. Because I was praying for a specific outcome I was focus on that outcome and not distracted by the complications of the situation.
3. God provided what I needed and, because I was praying, I could God's hand at work.
4. Prayer is how we depend on God.

Just one verse to finish this

 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7